THE presidents of the Leinster senior rugby clubs and their branch representatives last night met the officers of the Leinster Branch of the IRFU in Dublin. The move follows other meetings that have taken place between the senior clubs because of their understandable worries about many aspects of the game. Last night's encounter was considered to be of the utmost importance.

High on the agenda were the clubs anxieties about the continuing loss of their players to England in this new professional era and the consequent erosion of their resources, the ever increasing itinerary of the provincial team in a 20 team European Cup competition, and the knock on effect that has on clubs already hit by the departure of players to England.

There is, too, obvious concern that the loss of representative players to the English clubs weakens resources for the Insurance Corporation All Ireland League. And there is worry about a fall in standards that could bring in its wake a setback to player development, and a loss of revenue through gate receipts. There may also be less sponsorship money available, and this is now a very important consideration.

All these issues may be an inevitable and predictable consequence of the game becoming "open" to use the International Board terminology - but they add up to a huge challenge for all in the sport here.

When the IRFU met the clubs a number of times last season, these issues were on the agenda. There was a desire expressed by some to try and keep the game amateur at club level in this country, but it was accepted that it would be impossible to police such a policy and therefore not practical to implement it.

The IRFU, in an effort to keep players at home, introduced the incentive of lucrative contracts for home based players in the national squad, and increased the payments for provincial players. Enter the agents of English clubs and the lucrative offers were sufficiently attractive - or at least appeared to be - to lure most of the Ireland senior squad, and indeed even some who have not attained that status, to England.

Even if matters stabilise after the initial flurry of activity on the transfer market - the movement of players from rugby league to union in England is now continuing apace - the game in this country has problems to solve that require urgent consideration.

The fact that the problems were imposed by the advent of professionalism does not lessen the difficulties nor diminish the challenge.

There is profound anxiety out there about the future existence of long established clubs. At branch and union level there is an awareness of the problems and a desire to address them. But in the short term clubs are faced with an immediate problem, and one must have profound sympathy with their plight. This is no consolation whatsoever to those of us who forecast that the "open" game would bring all these problems to the name in this country.

What the Union must do is look at other means of keeping the players at home and, consequently, it must help their clubs and provinces. Among the issues which must be addressed are the benefits to be gained by contracting players at provincial level.

Also, a careful look should be taken at what is happening in Scotland, who like Ireland have lost so many of their to players to English clubs.

There are those who believe that Ireland's national team will benefit by so many of their players being engaged in the Courage league. Perhaps, but that remains to seen. Bear in mind that not all the Irish players in England are playing with teams one would consider to be among the favourites to be title contenders. Furthermore, it will scarcely help the overall standard or player development in this country if the best players are being lured away. This view is firmly held by most clubs.

The Leinster Branch has set up a sub committee to examine all aspects of the effect the "open" game is having and how best to deal with it the structure of the season; how best to protect the clubs and provinces and serve their mutual interests and, by extension, what is best for Irish rugby. That sub committee should report early in the new year and offer their findings and recommendations. The case is urgent and the time is short.